Group of children in a crowded, damaged urban area, smiling and making peace signs in Tondo, Manila ©R. Hartel for odoVita.

Health Services

For the longest time, there was no health facility in Barangay 105 that regularly provided comprehensive, evidence-based, quality health care for its almost 30,000 inhabitants. Many pregnant women still do not receive any care during pregnancy and childbirth. Many children remain unvaccinated. Many girls still give birth before their 16th birthday.

We work in close collaboration with government health services and other NGOs, such as UpSkill and Childdreamers, to deliver essential health services. We started out by using the rooms of the Childdreamers nursery and other NGOs for provision of care.

In 2025, odoVita built a community health clinic in Barangay 105, Tondo, Manila to be able to serve our community better. The first part is ready and we can already provide better services, but much remains to be done.

  • Ultrasound image showing a fetus in the womb.©odoVita

    Health services for expectant mothers

    Every pregnant woman has a right to quality care throughout her pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.

    Good quality antenatal care contributes to a healthy pregnancy for mother and baby and can prevent or treat risks, illness, and death. odoVita works to make that right a reality for the women living in the poorest neighborhoods with limited access to quality antenatal care.

  • Two young girls hugging, one appears to be comforting the other, in a close embrace, black and white photo. ©odoVita

    Health services for the youngest

    Brain development and learning depend on responsive caregiving and experiences in early childhood, including in the womb of the mother before birth. Negative experiences may affect a child’s brain development and lead to long-term physical and mental health problems later in life.

    odoVita aims for young parents to enroll their children in an Early Years program to monitor and support their growth and development, ensure children are breastfed as well as vaccinated, and receive Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, and iron supplementation if needed to grow and develop optimally. We are also committed to working with parents to identify areas that may need additional support and assess whether there are risk factors for developmental difficulties that can be addressed.

  • A woman measuring a child's head with a measuring tape while other children and adults observe, in a room with a painted flowering plant on the wall.©odoVita

    Health services for children

    odoVita is committed to providing comprehensive health services for children to ensure their optimal growth and well-being, with the aim of helping to counteract the challenging living conditions they face. Comprehensive health services for children help prevent, diagnose, and manage common childhood illnesses. They also include guidance for appropriate child feeding and providing care for malnutrition.

  • Group of children and a woman sitting together at a table, with flowers and a motivational sign that says 'you can do it' in the background.©odoVita

    Health services for adolescents

    Adolescence is the phase of life between childhood and adulthood, from ages 10 to 19. It is a unique stage of human development and an important time for laying the foundations of good health. According to the World Health Organization, “adolescent well-being depends on a range of factors, including healthy food, education, life skills and employability, connectedness, feeling valued by society, safe and supportive environments, resilience, and the freedom to make choices”.

    We are working to make some of these a reality for the adolescents growing up in Tondo. odoVita is committed to providing non-judgemental adolescent friendly health services and works with teenagers to prevent unwanted pregnancies, become health activists and take charge of their own health.

  • A woman holding a young child in a crowded street with makeshift houses and electrical wires overhead.©R. Hartel for odoVita

    Family health and family planning

    Comprehensive family planning services are designed to empower individuals and couples to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and desired family size. odoVita strives to provide non-judgmental, confidential, and respectful care to ensure that individuals and couples can access the family planning services that best suit their needs and preferences.

  • Two children are playing in the rain, one is running and the other is squatting with a container, surrounded by water splashing.©odoVita

    Health services for people with infectious diseases

    Among the most common health issues in our community are upper respiratory tract infections, pneumonia, tuberculosis, skin infections and diarrheal illnesses. 

    High levels of air pollution, environmental contaminants, limited access to sanitation and incomplete childhood immunizations are compounded by overcrowded living conditions. 

    Alongside treatment of acute illness, odoVita offers nutritional support as well as education aimed at preventing disease transmission.

  • X-ray image of a human chest showing ribs, spine, and lungs.©odoVita

    Health services for people with chronic diseases

    Non-communicable diseases are on the rise globally, adding an additional burden on our patients. odoVita aims to increase awareness and understanding of these diseases, which include conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and cancer. We work towards offering

    comprehensive services for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of non-communicable diseases for all community members. 

    We emphasize the importance of early detection and offer education and support to help patients manage their chronic disease effectively, reducing the risk of complications and improving their quality of life.

  • A young child with wet hair brushing their teeth with a toothbrush in a kitchen or laundry area.©odoVita

    Health promotion - oral health and nutrition

    Our health programmes empower parents and children to increase control over their health and to encourage healthy behaviours, e.g. healthy nutrition, oral health and physical activity but also promotion of early childhood development and mental health. odoVita is committed to supporting early initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding after 6 months, as well as support for appropriate complementary feeding and for transition to a healthy family diet.  

    We fully recognize the challenges of healthy nutrition in the poorest communities but reject cynicism and instead look for creative solutions and strive to learn resilience from our communities.